For time-honored brands, survival hangs by a thread

There are few better ways of unraveling some of the mysteries behind Chinese culture than by looking into the history of the country's time-honored brands.

You can get a glimpse into the traditional making of fermented bean curd by visiting the 340-year-old Wangzhihe science museum in Beijing. If the history of Chinese grape wine tickles your interest, the old winery Dragon Seal in Beijing is the place to go, and soon anyone wanting to find out about Chinese sauce and pickles will be able to do just that at the museum of Liubiju, the pickle maker that is more than 400 years old, also in Beijing.

As traditional brands endeavor to respect their traditions but at the same time try to keep abreast of modern developments, they are also putting in a great deal of effort to educate customers about their culture and heritage.